Diane Abbott

[Sean 6,309]

Hearing that she is still banned from standing as a Labour MP despite being given the whip back.How does that even work?

[The Old Crem 3,581]

It sounds like she might have taken the deal that the whip is restored in return she announces her retirement. 
 

Also journalist Lee Harpin has tweeted she has health concerns. 

[Thatcher 2,381]

27 minutes ago, Sean said:

Hearing that she is still banned from standing as a Labour MP despite being given the whip back.How does that even work?

The Guardian gives the low down. Note the phrase “not stand for Labour due to what are termed as health difficulties”. 
 

Obviously with that article a pinch of salt as each faction wanting to push a certain narrative. 
 

On your particular point, she’s been given the whip back so that she can retire as a Labour MP. An unspoken agreement so to speak that if she did get the whip she’ll go gracefully, but briefing about her health might blow up in their face. 

[Sean 6,309]

Do you have anymore inside info on her health Thatcher?

[Sean 6,309]

I do wonder how back these health difficulties go.She has been displaying weird behaviour for years.I have a friend who is increasingly erratic and ostracised from her family and friends and rubs everyone up the wrong way these days and turns out she has a brain tumour which is non malignant but quite large in a core part of the brain.Makes me wonder if  Abbot is in the same camp or like Corbyn they just want rid of her.

[RoverAndOut 4,745]

1 hour ago, TQR said:

No. She’ll stand because she wants to be an MP.

 

9 minutes ago, Thatcher said:

The Guardian gives the low down. Note the phrase “not stand for Labour due to what are termed as health difficulties”. 
 

Obviously with that article a pinch of salt as each faction wanting to push a certain narrative. 
 

On your particular point, she’s been given the whip back so that she can retire as a Labour MP. An unspoken agreement so to speak that if she did get the whip she’ll go gracefully, but briefing about her health might blow up in their face. 

 

I'm sure I read somewhere yesterday that she intends to be an MP as long as possible...

[The Old Crem 3,581]

It’s notable just how quiet in the commons she has been in the last 18 months - particularly when you compare her to Corbyn or McDonnell (He is standing again btw). 

[RoverAndOut 4,745]

There's definitely been a decline in her compared to when she used to rail as a backbencher on This Week with Portillo and Andrew Neil during the Blair years, which is where I first came across her, but that was 15 years ago to be fair.

[Sean 6,309]

Just now, RoverAndOut said:

There's definitely been a decline in her compared to when she used to rail as a backbencher on This Week with Portillo and Andrew Neil during the Blair years, which is where I first came across her.

I do wonder if her cognitive decline has gone under the emrafar as she has no one to tell her there is a problem?I mean she is single as far as anyone knows and her only son has mental health difficulties so can't presumably advocate for her in her best interests.Politics aside thus seems really sad and especially as it appears there is something wrong and that it is being used by her party against her in a very nasty way.Could they not have just said her comments where the reason she can't stand again? I actually feel sorry for her in many ways.This is an atrocious way to undermine someone who is already clearly struggling.The approach seems cruel and unnecessary.

[Sean 6,309]

7 minutes ago, RoverAndOut said:

There's definitely been a decline in her compared to when she used to rail as a backbencher on This Week with Portillo and Andrew Neil during the Blair years, which is where I first came across her.

Absolutely and the fact no one prevented her from getting to this point is ghastly in my humble opinion.

[Sean 6,309]

18 minutes ago, The Old Crem said:

It’s notable just how quiet in the commons she has been in the last 18 months - particularly when you compare her to Corbyn or McDonnell (He is standing again btw). 

I mean McDonnell and Corbyn are clearly still  free of  noticable mental decline when you hear them politics aside.They both talk clearly  confidently and cogently.Abbott on the other hand seems to have been genuinely struggling for several years hence why I started the thread.

[The Old Crem 3,581]

She feels like someone who if fully well would have been on both left wing media but also maybe as the left wing voice on more right wing media as well. But it’s nearly all be written statements and comments recently. Which is  untypical for someone who used to be very high profile and a media regular. (Until 2015 she was way more famous than Corbyn was).

[maryportfuncity 10,639]

58 minutes ago, RoverAndOut said:

 

 

I'm sure I read somewhere yesterday that she intends to be an MP as long as possible...

 

 

As per the conversations that followed your post

 

3 July might be as long as possible, in which case dead poolers hereabouts may have reason to thank Rishi Sunak for his metaphorical grouse beating with regard to the standing of this particular talent

[JonNgoat 134]

Has told the BBC she is banned from standing. Christ knows why this is a battle Labour wants to fight right now, but there you are.

[msc 18,435]

Because she published some racist comments and then made an excuse about it being an early draft (wtf) sent early and then various influential groups said publicly Labour would be judged on their decision to let her stand again. She doomed herself.

[The Old Crem 3,581]

I was active in Labour for a bit and saw her speak in person once at an panel event. She was friendly enough and looked healthy but she was spouting a conspiracy theory about the number of dead at the then recent Grenfell disaster at the time which was later proven to be false. She was saying she was sure more than 100 had died and it would soon be revealed that was the case but it never was. 
 

[Ulitzer95 12,576]

I don’t like Abbott but actually feel quite sorry for her given the way she’s been treated. If you want to bin someone, be upfront and honest about it and don’t leave it til the last minute so they’ve no time to appeal. Backhanded, control freak behaviour from Starmer. He’ll only build a long list of enemies from within his own party if he acts like this during his premiership.

[The Old Crem 3,581]

The Evening Standard suggests she won’t be running as independent candidate quoting her as saying she is going to campaign for a Labour Victory. 

[Toast 16,129]

2 hours ago, msc said:

Because she published some racist comments and then made an excuse about it being an early draft (wtf) sent early and then various influential groups said publicly Labour would be judged on their decision to let her stand again. She doomed herself.

 

From what I can gather she drew a distinction between prejudice and racism which I think should have made for an interesting discussion.  I don't agree with that, but we ought to be able to talk about these things without being labelled racist or anti--semitist or whatever. 

 

[The Old Crem 3,581]

She doesn’t look well here but sounds ok.  

[RoverAndOut 4,745]

 

Sounds like one way or another she's intending to stand again.

[The Old Crem 3,581]

8 minutes ago, RoverAndOut said:

 

Sounds like one way or another she's intending to stand again.

The Galloway backed candidate in my seat was at the rally. 

[YoungWillz 21,024]

6 minutes ago, RoverAndOut said:

 

Sounds like one way or another she's intending to stand again.

You know, this is just a personal view, but it sounds like she's taking the voters for granted, rather than seeking their votes. She also seems to take the view that she's entitled to be MP - nearly 40 years is a damn good run, and she could go to the Lords and still be relevant.

 

Here it's like that ad for Yorkshire Tea, but where Patrick Stewart walks up to her and says he wishes her well in retirement, only for her to throw the boiling liquid in Stewart's face, jump on a desk and scream "I'm going nowhere bitch, this is my job for life and you will pay me no matter how badly I do my job".

 

Also, this is a talking point boring the voters. The press have obviously taken the view that by covering this, they don't have to look at Sunak's dismal performances or Starmer's Q & A college professor act. But that is precisely what they should be prioritising, instead of saying we'll cover this and that is blocking out Labour's message.

[RoverAndOut 4,745]

6 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

You know, this is just a personal view, but it sounds like she's taking the voters for granted, rather than seeking their votes. She also seems to take the view that she's entitled to be MP - nearly 40 years is a damn good run, and she could go to the Lords and still be relevant.

 

Here it's like that ad for Yorkshire Tea, but where Patrick Stewart walks up to her and says he wishes her well in retirement, only for her to throw the boiling liquid in Stewart's face, jump on a desk and scream "I'm going nowhere bitch, this is my job for life and you will pay me no matter how badly I do my job".

 

Also, this is a talking point boring the voters. The press have obviously taken the view that by covering this, they don't have to look at Sunak's dismal performances or Starmer's Q & A college professor act. But that is precisely what they should be prioritising, instead of saying we'll cover this and that is blocking out Labour's message.

 

They did a vox pop on the News at 6 and, while there was some support for her, there was another person who thanked her for her service and suggested this gave her an opportunity for a dignified retirement and he'd like to be able to vote for a different Labour candidate. I'm not certain she'll stand as an independent, she says she loves the Labour Party and has always been loyal, even when she's disagreed. Says she wants Labour to win this election - how does standing against them help that? But also, how does it help causing a massive stink before you say you've been forced into retirement?

[YoungWillz 21,024]

2 minutes ago, RoverAndOut said:

 

They did a vox pop on the News at 6 and, while there was some support for her, there was another person who thanked her for her service and suggested this gave her an opportunity for a dignified retirement and he'd like to be able to vote for a different Labour candidate. I'm not certain she'll stand as an independent, she says she loves the Labour Party and has always been loyal, even when she's disagreed. Says she wants Labour to win this election - how does standing against them help that? But also, how does it help causing a massive stink before you say you've been forced into retirement?

I mean I agree.

 

If the media took the view this is a side issue in a proper election, we'd get 5 minutes of it and move on to the messaging of the parties.

 

I could care less whether any MP wants to hold on to their job, regardless of their health issues or anything else. We had enough of that with Brokenshire and Gillan and other MPs who stood for election only to pop their clogs and cause by-elections. Maybe Abbott isn't at that stage yet, but she was certainly wobbly from what I saw.